21856: (Chamberlain) S.Africa grants temporary asylum to Aristide (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     PRETORIA, May 13 (Reuters) - The South African government has approved
temporary asylum for deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and
will foot the bill for his stay, a government statement said on Thursday.
     The decision will offer a welcome relief to both the United States and
Haiti's Caribbean neighbours facing a major diplomatic problem over
Aristide's sanctuary since he lost power in March in the face of a rebel
uprising and U.S. pressure.
     The offer of asylum also underlines the South African government's
implicit view that the elected Aristide was unconstitutionally removed from
power in a "regime change" sanctioned by U.S. President George W. Bush.
     The government statement repeated South Africa's call for a United
Nations inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Aristide's fall from
power.
     Mbeki and his cabinet met on Wednesday to consider an asylum request
made by the Caribbean Economic Community (Caricom) through the African
Union (AU), cabinet spokesman Joel Netshitenzhe said in the statement.
     "The South African government has acceded to this request and the
decision will be formally conveyed to the AU, Caricom and Mr Aristide," it
said.
     Aristide left Haiti on February 29 after an armed revolt and U.S.
pressure to quit. He arrived in Jamaica in early March for what was
supposed to be a 10-week stay with relatives.
     Mbeki had close ties with Aristide and his government had previously
indicated its willingness to offer him sanctuary.
      But the decision is unpopular with the opposition, which accuses
Aristide of undemocratic practices and which tried to make an election
issue of Mbeki's asylum offer.
     Mbeki clearly deferred a decision on the offer until after the April
14 election, which returned him and the ruling African National Congress to
power in a landslide.
     The matter was brought before the very first cabinet meeting since
Mbeki's re-election.
     Aristide has said he was abducted by U.S. forces and flown out of the
country in what he called a coup d'etat. Washington dismissed the
allegation as nonsense.
     He was first flown to the Central African Republic from where he left
for Jamaica. His aides said he had turned down an asylum offer by Nigeria
and instead indicated his preference to come to South Africa.
     There was no immediate indication of when Aristide and his family
would arrive, but the statement implied that South Africa expected Aristide
to eventually return to Haiti.
     "This arrangement will be a temporary one, until the situation in
Haiti has stabilised to the extent that it would be possible for him and
his family to return," it added.
     A United Nations mission tasked with assuring security and organising
fresh elections is due to take over the chaotic country on June 1.